Summerhaven to Kearny, 79 Miles

Day 14: Summerhaven to the Kannaly Wash Windmill, 19 Miles.

Leaving Summerhaven at the late hour of 6:30, The Accountant and I begin a short roadwalk along the General Hitchcock Highway, named after a former postmaster general. 

Leaving the highway, we find the trail out of Summerhaven has a few more tricks to pull before we leave the high country once again. The trail is overgrown, burned and loose. Large rocks dot the trail, and each would love to hear your ankles scream. 

At one point we see a sign stating: 

TRAIL NOT RECOMMENDED FOR EQUESTRIANS 

Right next to a trail that simply scrambles up a loose two track road that a 4wd vehicle would find rigorous. 

Slowly and steadily however, we descend 4,000 ft to the heat of the desert. This marks the first time that I have felt the full force of the Arizona sun for extended periods. 

As we roll into April, I expect the body will demand reprieve from the hottest parts of the day in an afternoon siesta. We shall see. 

The ecosystem changes again to one defined by the manzanita and thornscrub. Yuccas also dot the landscape with their blue green hue, storing energy for one magnificent florescence and a dying away. 

Deserts are lands of extremes, and a mysterious, powerful force of beauty that nourishes the soul.

Day 15: Kannaly Wash Windwill to Camp Grant Wash 23 Miles.

23 miles! That’s close to the highest I have ever done in a day, and I am feeling it. The last two miles were a steep descent that was hell on my stiff legs! Tonight we will be camping in the Camp Grant Wash. The site of a dark chapter in our history. 

The country is so open here that at times the breadth of the cloudless sky surpasses that of the land. Looking up, one can imagine falling into that sea of blue.

At camp, I encounter a first time thru hiker named Clint native to Phoenix. He is having a very rough time, reminiscent of my first thru hike on the PCT two years ago. We talk for a while about measuring our experiences and how our expectations have measured up. Nearing the end of our conversation, he notices that I am carrying a guitar strapped to my backpack. 

I play him a tune that I finally finished arranging on the trail, an old texas waltz called Midnight On The Water. He thanks me, and says that the music fits the landscape well.

Day 16: Camp Grant Wash to Stock Tank near Mile 247. 18 Miles.

I sleep well, but do not feel rested today after the exertion yesterday. Feeling sluggish, The Accountant and I continue on. In yesterday’s heat, we often found ourselves climbing in and out of washes throughout the day, sand in our shoes. 

Today the country has flattened out, and the trail yields to two track dirt roads well suited to mountain bikes as well as our feet. 

A series of rhyolite formations lay before us on the trail, remnants of volcanic eruptions that happened long before our species walked the earth. 

We take few breaks and get to camp around 3. 

This is the difficulty and joy of hiking with a partner, as we make compromises on our pace throughout the day. The Accountant does not want to hike until sunset as I usually do, and I arrive to camp more exhausted with fewer breaks, but get to rest and enjoy camp before setting out at sunrise again tomorrow.

Day 17: Stock Tank to Florence Kelvin Trailhead, 19 Miles.

It’s been a long section of trail. I knew from the beginning of this trip that I would take a zero(rest) day in Kearny, AZ, and now I am so close. I look forward to a warm bed and pizza at the only restaurant in this small mining town. 

Despite my exhaustion, I am elated by two features notable to today’s miles: wildflowers and seafloor bedding. 

The wildflowers have just begun to bloom here and are an ecstasy of color. Reds, purples, yellows and white line the ruddy soil. Further, I can the upturned horizontal bedding of sandstone that is the sure sign that long ago in deep time, this entire landscape was underwater. Could this section have been part of the Western Interior Seaway? I do not yet know. 

But it explains the fossils that I have seen throughout.

Florence Kelvin Trailhead to Kearny, 4 Miles. 

We made it around 8 am, and I look forward to a good rest and what lies ahead.

Total Miles: 268.